


Captured Memories

by HoodinisHarmony



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Harmony - Freeform, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoodinisHarmony/pseuds/HoodinisHarmony
Summary: A picture is worth a thousand words, that’s what they always say. It isn’t hard to believe that a photo would be all it took for them to realize what they’ve been missing.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 7
Kudos: 131





	Captured Memories

"Mister Potter will return in a bit, Miss Granger! I'll let him know you're in as soon as I can, but you can just wait in his office whilst you wait."

Hermione smiled politely at the intern that worked for Harry as she shut the door, taking in a big breath of relief as soon as the door clicked shut. The girl was quite nice and evidently did the best she could do at her job, but it was quite obvious she was another BWL fangirl. Just the way she spoke about him, it was almost enough to convince Hermione that her best friend was Merlin's gift to the rest of the magical populous.

'Then again,' she thought with a smile, 'it's not hard to believe that he is.' Harry had long since grown out of his "shy and hated the spotlight" phase, growing into his confidence by strides after the defeat of Voldemort. That wasn't to say he had grown an ego however. He still was the humble, golden-hearted boy she had met all those years ago on that scarlet express train that took them up to Hogwarts. A small blush appeared on her face as she thought of him, and a happy grin began to take form.

'No wonder I fell in love with him.' She had long since given up on trying to deny the obvious, finding it much easier (and a lot less heart-wrenching) to admit that she loved that raven-haired, emerald-eyed man. It was just too hard to not fall in love, she thought quietly. She shook her head, realizing she had been staring at the mahogany door that stood as the entrance to his office for much too long, and turned.

His office was exactly how he was. Neat to a degree, but still showed that he was more than a bit chaotic than originally thought. Papers were scattered about on his desk, probably in some form of organization only he would be able to weave through, with various baubles and knickknacks placed throughout the office. He had quickly made his way up the political food chain, becoming a liaison for Magical Britain throughout the rest of the world.

It was almost enough to make Hermione burst into tears, she was so proud. It was with no amount of hidden relief that he had decided against becoming an Auror, realizing how difficult it would be to go about her everyday life if he had. She'd be too distracted with worry to focus on any of her own work! She herself was making her way through the political landscape, paving the road for better rights for a majority of magical creatures and those of non-pure blood, and she was universally respected by most, her only real opponents being those that quietly agreed with Voldemort but were too cowardly to join in the madman's crusade. 

She reveled in putting them in their places.

She walked quietly to his desk, and it wasn't until she rounded the table that she noticed a few picture frames that sat idly upon his desk. Settling down in his office chair, she drew herself close and observed the closest photo. She smiled softly when she saw the image of her, Harry, and Ron standing shoulder to shoulder, big grins on all their faces as they graduated from Hogwarts. Their graduation caps sat gently on their heads, confetti drifting down from the ceiling of the Great Hall.

Her heart fluttered at the memory of it, remembering the pride that was so plainly shown on Harry's face as Headmistress McGonagall awarded Hermione with her valedictorian award. His eyes were filled with happy tears as she did her speech, hanging on every word, and Hermione secretly thought of that memory more times than she would care to admit. 

Her eyes drifted to the next photo, and her hand flew to her chest at the sight of it, feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes. Within an ornate frame, sat a photo of James and Lily Potter waving gently towards the camera. James' nose was buried beneath Lily's red hair, a wide smile on her face, and the two were held in a loving embrace. Her heart broke at the thought of them, realizing they would never see where Harry was now.

'He must have found this after the war,' she thought quietly. Harry had gone into his vaults once the war had ended, and in typical Harry fashion, ignored the wealth he had and went straight to anything that involved his family. 

Her eyes shifted over to the final photo on his desk, and her heart stopped at the sight of it. She gently reached out to pick it up, bringing it in for a closer inspection. Her hand gently caressed the glass that separated the photo from the rest of the world.

It was a simple photo taken from a muggle camera, but the meaning meant so much more. Within the photo were the figures of just Harry and Hermione. She remembered the day so clearly, it was almost as if it had happened the day before. In reality, the photo had been taken a full year previously.

They had gone out for a trip to London, Harry wishing for a day away from the attention that came from his job, and had dragged Hermione out for a day out in town. They stumbled upon a small festival that was taking place, and she had never seen him look so...free.

At one point, a photographer approached the two, asking if they'd like a photo to capture their day, and Harry quickly agreed before Hermione could even open her mouth. The next thing she knew, he had dragged her into his embrace, a wide smile on his face. She looked up towards him with wonder in her eyes, loving the way he seemed to have no worries in the world. She absentmindedly noticed the sound of a small shutter, and he reached out to grab the instant film photo the photographer had taken. The entire time, Hermione made no move to get out of his embrace, merely leaning her head on his chest.

She smiled at the memory, before noticing a small fold on the photo. She bit her lip, thinking if he would become upset if she took the photo to fix the fold, before turning the frame over and opening it. A small breeze flew through the room, causing the photo to drop to the floor. As she went to pick it up, she noticed something.

It was a small sentence written on the back of the photo, and her eyes watered as she read it, her heart pounding wildly.

"'I'm gonna marry this girl one day...'"

Her voice was just a whisper, but hearing it said aloud made a smile break out on her face. He felt the same! He really did!

She returned the photo to its frame, and had just placed it back on his desk, when the door to the office flew open. Harry stood, breathing heavier than normal. He had evidently run back to meet her, and she mentally cheered at the thought that he wanted to be with her as soon as he could. He sent a grin her way, before a look of concern took over.

"Hermione, have you been crying? Are you alright?" His voice was laced with worry, and he took a step forward towards her. She merely smiled, a tear of happiness trailing down her face, and she let out a watery giggle.

"Never better."


End file.
